The brunch buffet is back, baby — and D.C. goes global with it
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Love, Makoto serves an all-you-can-eat buffet with sushi, seafood, Japanese snacks, mains and more. Photo: Courtesy Garden Hospitality
Move over, bottomless mimosas — the brunch buffet is back, and D.C. restaurants are piling on sushi, curries and mezze.
Why it matters: Who doesn't love an all-you-can-eat brunch with Sizzler nostalgia — and a lot more culinary chops?
The big buffet picture: Once largely the domain of fancy hotels, brunch buffets are popping up at neighborhood restaurants, too, with globe-trotting spreads that go well beyond Benedicts.
Driving the news: Restaurateur Ashok Bajaj is launching a $35 Sunday buffet brunch at Malabar in Van Ness on Oct. 25.
- Rasika chef Vikram Sunderam is behind the rotating Indian spread, which may feature Kerala fish fry, coconut chicken curry, and lamb rogan josh plus rice, dal, breads and desserts.
- Go bottomless with Bloody Marys, mimosas or sparkling wine for an extra $25 for 90 minutes. Brunch runs Sundays, 11:30am–2:15pm.
🍣 Meanwhile: Sushi lovers are rolling into Love, Makoto in Capitol Crossing for a $65 unlimited buffet ($32.50 for kids 12 and under).
- Executive chef Takeshi Omae says the kitchen churns out a whopping 528 maki rolls, 661 pieces of nigiri and 270 mini doughnuts during a typical brunch service — joining the spread of Japanese snacks, mains, sides and sweets.
- The buffet runs Saturdays and Sundays, 11am–3pm.
Also: Levantine restaurant Ala is dishing up a $36 brunch buffet at its Dupont Circle and new Bethesda locations.
- Pile your plate with shakshuka, lamb-topped flatbreads and cheese börek, plus cold mezze, fresh-baked pita and a parade of sweets, from baklava to a chocolate fountain.
- Bottomless mimosas and sumac-spiced Levantine Bloody Marys are an extra $12.
🍗 And for the classics: Silver Spring's J. Hollinger's goes old-school with a $35 Sunday buffet featuring hot-honey fried chicken, carving-station meats, waffles, breakfast pastries and plenty of eggs.
- The all-you-can-eat feast runs Sundays, 11am–2:30pm, with a two-hour seating limit. It's $16 for kids (5-12) and free for younger.
The bottom line: Bottomless mimosas are nice. Bottomless dumplings, dips and doughnuts? Even better.